Linked Across Time
by moviemaniac217
Summary: Amunet is the daughter of the Pharaoh En Saba Nur. Hasani is a captain in the Pharaoh's army. When these two meet they discover just how far they will go for love and how long reaching their love is. A sort of prequel to the X-Men: Evolution series.
1. A Prologue

This is a story that has been running through my mind ever since I watched the episodes "Lock and Key" and "Dark Horizon: Part 1 & 2." It's my idea that kind of dwells on the idea of reincarnation and why Apocalypse waited so long to try escape. I mean think about it, couldn't there have been other powerful mutants that could have released him and did anyone else notice that Rogue's powers are kind of similar to his? At any rate, I do not own X-Men: Evolution, but I do own this story.

* * *

_It is said some lives are linked across time, connected by an ancient calling that echoes through the ages._

* * *

Amunet's eyes flickered sleepily open and she stretched, luxuriating in the warmth of the silken sheets. She sat up and a young woman floated gracefully to her side.

"Good morning your highness," the girl chimed, bowing low.

"Good morning Eshe," she said," What rumors are running through the palace halls this morning?"

"Many, my lady," the young brown eyed girl said, as she helped her mistress to dress," Your brother Ammon has earned the disfavor of your father, the pharaoh, this morning."

"What has he done this time?" she asked as she closed her eyes against visions of her betrothed.

"He has been out riding this morning, killing anyone who he deemed to be not bowing low enough. Then he burned down the temple of Ra."

Amunet rolled her eyes," I do not know why my father pretends to be upset with Ammon, I can tell that he is not. But I suppose that he must keep up the appearance of a good, fair leader or the people may try to rebel, though they would not succeed. Enough of my brother though, what other rumors are about?"

"The temple of Ra is in the process of being rebuilt. Your father reminds you that you are to be present at the dedication of the new temple to Anubis. And General Hasani has finally returned after his two year campaign in Ethiopia."

"I am sure that Ammon is glad to hear it, they have been friends for years. Have you ever met him Eshe?"

The young girl bit her lip and blushed prettily," I have my lady and he is very kind and quite charming. He is also, as his name suggests, quite handsome and is considered to be beloved of the gods."

"Hmm…" Amunet mused," I have never seen or met my brother's closest friend. Ammon doesn't like me getting to close to his life and his loathing for me and our marriage is only matched by mine for him."

Eshe said nothing as she finished running the delicate ivory comb through her mistress's hair. She placed it on a nearby table and then picked up a simple golden band that formed a hooded cobra. Reverently she placed it on Amunet's head and bowed low once again. She stood up and turned, the simple crown contrasting nicely with the white streaks that framed her unusually pale face.

"Go tell Lisimba to begin preparing my horse, I will be riding after I have eaten," she commanded and swept out of the room.

"As you wish your highness," she replied to the empty room before leaving to do as she was commanded.

* * *

Name Translations:

Lisimba- Lion

Hasani- Handsome

Eshe- Life

Ammon- god of a united Egypt

Amunet- Mythical goddess of mystery

* * *

Can anyone tell who the handsome Captain Hasani is? You'll have to wait for next chapter to find out for sure. And yes there will be more chapters, it just might take me a while to get them out as I have several other stories in progress, but I will get them out as soon as possible. Thanks for your patience!


	2. First Meetings

Hasani strode down the long marble halls of the royal palace, a smile hovering on the corner of his lips. It felt good to be back in the place that was like a second home to him. He could vividly remember all the hours that he had spent playing through the rooms and halls with his friend Ammon, the Crown Prince of Egypt. They had been young and full of mischief, not caring about the social differences that should have separated them. To them they were just two boys, one with brown hair and muddy brown eyes, and the other auburn haired with eyes a mysterious red and black.

But as they got older, Ammon's lessons and Hasani's training for the Pharaoh's army started to draw them apart bit by bit. However, in the rare moment when they had time alone, they became two young men trading secrets and jokes over goblets of wine.

The door swung open and the crier announced his presence to the Royal Court.

"Welcome home Captain Hasani, son of Nassor, noble of Thebes, conqueror of Ethiopia, blessed of the gods, beloved of Hathor," he proclaimed with a deep, stentorian voice.

_Finally he's run out of air, _a young Ammon whispered in his memory; _I swear he could send my father's barge down the Nile just by announcing one visitor_ _to the Court._

He successfully fought to keep a smile from his face as he knelt in respect to the Pharaoh. En Saba Nur stared down from his gilded throne, tattooed face emotionless as he studied the man before him. Hasani had grown into a fine looking young man, he decided, and it was a well-known fact that he like the Pharaoh himself had special abilities and skills that surpassed others.

For Hasani's part the Pharaoh had always made him nervous. He had almost complete control over his emotions and had the reputation for great speed, strength, and skill. After all, wasn't he the one who had wiped out the Pharaoh Ramatut's army with his bare hands? He sent a silent prayer to his patron goddess Hathor, willing that he would never need to fight this man in either this life or in a future one.

"Greetings Captain," En Saba Nur intoned, his voice filling the space around them like a tangible presence," It is good to see that you have returned unharmed from the campaign that has taken you away from home these past two years. I'm certain that Ammon shares my joy in this matter."

Ammon's murky brown eyes twinkled with happiness as he discreetly met Hasani's glance. "I am always happy to see my friend Father," he said, his voice filled with the smile he didn't dare show in the formality of the Court," Welcome home Hasani."

He bowed slightly in respect and acknowledgement of the greeting he knew his friend could not give. The Pharaoh grunted and waved a hand towards an empty throne on his left. "Unfortunately my daughter Amunet could not join us," he said, voice taking on a softer tone," But join us at the temple dedication this afternoon and she also will welcome you home." The man paused," You will be coming Hasani?"

"I would not miss it Pharaoh," he said with a respectful smile.

"Good, now come and sit," he said and motioned for a servant to bring a seat," And enjoy the tastes and sights of a home you have not seen in two years."

"My thanks to you Pharaoh," he said with one last salute before he took the offered chair," May you live forever."

* * *

Amunet sighed and ran her fingers through her windblown hair. She loved riding, it was as close to flying as she could get. Her eyes found the soft blue sky and she gave a longing sigh; what she wouldn't give to be up there soaring through the clouds. Her horse nickered and lowered her head to the fountain to drink.

The girl smiled and rubbed her mare's forehead gently. The mare flicked her ears and continued to drink. She sighed and tilted her head back, closing her eyes to simply enjoy the early morning warmth.

"Could it be that my patron goddess Hathor has found her way to the world of mortals?" a rich voice said," Or is this some other lovely goddess?"

Her eyes flew open in shock and she turned to see a tall man leaning against one of the statues that stood in the courtyard. He was decidedly handsome, and his eyes were the most beautiful she had ever seen, ruby and onyx.

_He calls me a goddess? _She thought, startled, _why when he surely must be a son of Anubis or Osiris?_

"My name is not Hathor, and I am no goddess," she said with a smile," I am only a mortal with no name.

"A beauty such as yourself with no name?" he said, sounding shocked," It cannot be, surely one as yourself has a name."

_So he does not recognize me as the Princess of Egypt, _she thought, _I'm glad that Eshe let me borrow some of her linen gowns and that I wore none of my insignias. I shall enjoy messing with this young god's mind._

"Azeneth," she said simply," I am called Azeneth."

He smirked, looking quite smug to have gotten her 'real name' from her. Oh how she wanted to laugh at him, how could he not know who she really was?

"My name is Hasani," he told her with a graceful bow," Captain in the Pharaoh's army."

She froze for a moment. This was Hasani, the young boy her brother had been friends with for so many years? He was not a boy any longer, she noticed as her eyes discretely traced his lean, yet muscular, body, He had grown up to be a handsome young man.

_No wonder they say that Hathor is his patron goddess, _she thought as a faint blush colored her cheeks_._

"I must go," she said suddenly and swung herself astride her horse," I dare not linger here too long."

"Will I see you again Azenath?" he asked, his voice carrying a trace of hopefulness.

She smiled," I believe you will. Farewell." With that, she turned and urged her horse from the courtyard and into the desert, leaving him staring after her longingly.

* * *

Hasani happily let his horse fall into line with Ammon's. His friend turned to his with a joyful smile.

"My dear friend," he said with a laugh," If my father's entourage sees us like this they may try to get you in trouble again."

"As though your father and the people care," he retorted with a smirk," Besides I've been gone for two years and I've conquered Ethiopia for your father. That should be enough to at least excuse me for a while. Especially that old windbag Sebola."

"There's a reason they named him Sebola, and its not because he's a windbag," Ammon snickered," He always did have a peppery temper."

Hasani snorted and rolled his eyes," Well whether he be full of wind, or full of spice it is much too early in the afternoon for him."

"There is never a good time of day to deal with Sebola, so it is often better if one ignores him."

"Easier said than done I take. And speaking of what is easier said than done, how are the preparations for your wedding coming along?"

"Did you have to remind me?" Ammon groaned.

"Oh it can't be that bad my friend," Hasani said with a chuckle," I've heard that your bride Amunet is as beautiful as a goddess."

"But she is my sister," Ammon grumbled," But come, let us not think of my unfortunate match anymore. You have been away for two years and I've been stuck here. Tell me some of your travels, and of all the gorgeous women you've been with."

Hasani laughed, attracting the scowling attention of Sebola, whom he promptly ignored. The ride passed quickly as he regaled his friend with some of his many exploits while on the Ethiopian front. All too soon the entourage stopped at the foot of a flight of marble stairs.

"Tell me my friend," he whispered as they ascended the stairs," Anubis is not even your patron god, why are you here?"

"No but he is my future wife's patron god," he growled," I have to be here."

Hasani grunted and melted into the small group of servants and soldiers that had gathered for the occasion. He knew many of them and he greeted them with a quick smile and a word here and there.

"Eventually a gong rang out, calling all to attention. En Saba Nur stood at the top of a gilded platform before a monstrous gilded, ebony statue of Anubis. He silently turned and motioned someone forward.

A young woman stepped into his line of sight and he blinked in astonishment. She was dressed in yards of richly embroidered black and gold silk. She wore little jewelry, the most obvious piece was the heavy golden crown adorned with a hooded cobra. It made a startling contrast with her pale skin and her auburn and white hair.

The Princess Amunet's emerald eyes searched the crowd before finally meeting his red and black ones. Hers widened in shock and he couldn't suppress the mischievous twinkle in his own.

_ Hello Azeneth, _he mouthed and watched with amusement as she tore her eyes away from his and tried to focus elsewhere. He smirked, he was still going to talk to her whether she tried to avoid him or not. And the fact that she was his friend's betrothed and the Princess of Egypt only made the proposition that much more intriguing.

* * *

Egyptian name translation:

Azeneth- She belongs to her father

Sebola- Pepper

Nassor- Victor

Hathor- House of Horus. Goddess of many things, from the celestial to the alcoholic! She was a celestial goddess, The Mistress of Heaven. A goddess of love, music and beauty as the Goddess of Love, Cheerfulness, Music and Dance. Hathor was known as the Mother of Mothers and the Celestial Nurse who presided over women, fertility, children and childbirth. Yet Hathor was also a goddess of baser things - she was the Vengeful Eye of Ra, the Lady of Drunkenness, and a goddess of the dead as Lady of the West. As Lady of the Southern Sycamore, the sycamore was sacred to her. It was from the sycamore tree that Hathor was thought to hand out good things to the deceased in the afterlife, and so she was thought to be a friend to the dead.


	3. Of Pharaohs and gods

Amunet glided through the doors of her father's throne room and paused, bowing her head, waiting for him to acknowledge her presence.

"Come in daughter," he said and she could hear the pride and gentleness seep into his voice, gentleness that he only ever seemed to show her. She had never even heard him speak to Ammon that way, and he was his heir and his favorite son.

She lifted her head and quickly scampered to the side of her father's throne. He smiled and motioned for her to sit on one of the wide armrests, and she did, crossing her legs for good measure. Her father noticed and chuckled.

"I doubt that Keket would approve of your posture my daughter," he said with a chuckle," And as much as I know you love to annoy your teacher, you must at least try to follow her instructions."

"Father," she groaned and fought the urge to stick out her bottom lip like a spoiled child," I hate the lessons she gives me. The lessons on the proper way to give offerings and the chants and prayers and such I do not mind. Such things may prove to be useful one day. But father, make-up and clothes, and how a princess should act and a million and one other things… it's too much."

En Saba Nur smiled sadly at his headstrong daughter. She was almost too spirited for her own good, he decided, Full of life, a temper that could blaze hotter than the sun, and free as the desert breeze. He almost regretted having to force her to marry her unremarkable older brother, but once his plan was put into action he knew she would forgive him.

"I know you did not come here to complain about your lessons my child," he chuckled," What is it you are want?"

"Father why do you think I want something?" the girl asked with an innocent look plastered on her face.

He simple continued to smile at her before she sighed in irritation. "Okay fine," she grumbled," Father will you please not make me marry Ammon. He's my brother and despite what the priest's say, I should not even have to marry him."

"The priest's say that the gods demand it," he said with a chuckle," And as much as I despise the people, it is often not intelligent to infuriate them."

Amunet scowled for a moment before a small smile graced her lips. "But father," she said sweetly," The priests also say that you are a god, like they thought of Ramatut." She felt her father tense at that name but she continued," But you wiped out his army and then you chased him away. You chased away a god. Father, doesn't that mean that you are a god now, subject to change rules as you wish?"

"You may have a point there my dear," he said, scowling in concentration. Finally he nodded and a smile once again hovered on the corner of his lips. "You will not have to marry Ammon, my mind is decided. If the priests and the people are angry, they can take it up with their gods."

She smiled, a dazzling smile that could put the sun to shame, and threw her arms around him in joy. "Oh thank you Father, thank you, thank you, thank you!" she squeaked. He laughed and pulled her into a quick embrace.

"Now off with you and go bother someone else," he chuckled and watched as she darted out of the room like an arrow.

His smile faded as he considered what his daughter had said. The fact that he had run the Pharaoh Ramatut off and destroyed his army was a well-known fact. But a god? He had not really thought of himself like that, but with his plans to recreate the world in his own image, he would be one. He smiled. When it was all over he would have to thank his daughter for giving him a calling and a purpose.

* * *

Hasani stared across the swirling waters of the Nile and sighed. After two years of warring with Ethiopia and becoming used to the bloodshed and action that came with the mission, he found the return to the luxury of Egypt to be a bit too quiet. He yearned for action, for a challenge and his face lightened with a memory. A girl, whom he first thought was a daughter of one of the nobles who lived in the palace, dressed in simple linen robes. Flashing emerald eyes and two-toned hair contrasted perfectly with her alabaster skin and he could only wonder how soft her skin must be.

Getting too close to the Pharaoh's daughter, betrothed or not, was a highly deadly occupation. And the Princess' temper and spirit made her a challenge unlike any other woman he had pursued in his years. He smiled and he turned to re-enter the palace before stopping to give a servant orders and changing directions, deciding to bathe in the river first. He'd been out riding this morning in the hot sun and knows that hot and sweaty is never a good state to be in while trying to woo a princess.

As he approached the enclosed bathing pavilion he froze in awe. Someone was already bathing in the sun-warmed Nile, moving gracefully through the water. She stood up and shook her head, sending water cascading from her white and auburn striped hair. Her perfect form, that had been so well accented by the gold and black robes from the temple ceremony, was now covered in little else but a simple band of linen around her chest and a short skirt that barely covered her thighs.

He sighed in longing. Why did she have to be so beautiful, and why did she have to be the Princess of Egypt to top that off, and engaged as well? He sighed again and then smiled as he watched her wrap a sheer fabric around her and re-enter the palace. It would be difficult and dangerous to get close to the only daughter of En Saba Nur, but for one so lovely he was willing to risk everything, even life itself.

* * *

Two figures stood gazing into a simple mirror-like pool of water as if they could see the meaning of life itself. Perhaps they could, as it was not their own reflections they were staring at with such intensity. An image of a young man with piercing red and black eyes staring at a soaked emerald-eyed beauty wavered on the water and one of the figures gave a short, gruff laugh.

"Well Hathor," it said red eyes blazing from a black jackal-like head, crossing muscular arms over its chest," It seems your favorite has finally seen mine."

Hathor laughed, a melodic sound, and tilted her head to look at the jackal-headed god." What is wrong Anubis?" she teased him," Are you upset that he has found her or are you just happy that your favorite will not be miserable at having to marry him she does not love?"

The gods eyes softened and a small smile played at the edges of his canine-like lips. "I am glad that she will be free," he said and his face rapidly fell into one of deep sadness," But she will be punished for going against our will, for making her father go against her will. Isis and Osiris will see to that."

"Yes," Hathor agreed, tears glistening in her eyes," And my beloved Hasani will be punished as well. Poor children, they have so little time left before their deaths."

"True and Osiris in his anger at them both will keep their souls separated and locked in the Underworld for centuries," Anubis growled," but he is king and we can do nothing to stop him."

"Then let us hope that their love is strong enough to span the time until they can be together again," she said wiping away a tear.

The god nodded and they both returned their eyes to the pool, ever vigilant on their favorites. But at the back of their minds they were troubled. They had finally found each other, but it would not last long. The wrath of Osiris and the folly of Apocalypse were in the not- too-distant future.

* * *

Egyptian name translations:

Keket- mythical goddess of darkness

Anubis- Jackal-headed god of embalming, mummification and the afterlife


	4. Beginning Fate

Amunet stared at her senet board thoughtfully, contemplating her next move. Of course, that was proving to be slightly difficult as all her eyes wanted to do was feast on the form of her opponent. He was sprawled across one of the benches in the garden, reclining against its intricately carved back, goblet of sweet wine and plate of dates within easy reach. An intricately crafted signet ring glinted in the sunlight as he played with one of his senet pieces, and his strange eyes were slightly narrowed in concentration.

He glanced up and caught her staring. She immediately forced her eyes back to the game but the damage had already been done. A smug expression swept over his face and he leaned forward, purposely drawing her attention back to him.

"Did you see something you like?" he asked her, crossing his arms over his well-toned chest.

_It's kind of hard not to, you're making a very good display of it, _she thought as she said," Yes that senet piece in your hand, it's my favorite. It was carved and given to me by the hand of Anubis himself."

He looked at her startled for a moment and she could almost hear his pride deflating as he looked at it more carefully. "So this was carved by Anubis as a gift for you, I'd thought that the priests would have tried to revere it as a sacred object and not let you keep it, much less play with it."

"They did try but it kept appearing back on my senet board. Finally after several instances they stopped and I was left in peace," she paused and took a sip of her own wine," I heard that Anubis himself appeared to them and told them to leave me alone; the senet piece was a gift, not something for them to worship."

He raised an eyebrow. "Does your patron god often show up to help you?" he asked with a smile," Or does he only show up when he pleases?

"Captain, you of all people should know how the gods work. And I've heard some stories myself of your patron goddess, Hathor, appearing to you at unusual times. And do not tell me that she hasn't given you a gift or two in your time."

He smirked and raised his hard to display his signet ring. "Hathor herself crafted this and gave it to me on the eve of the Ethiopian campaign. She told me never to take it off, and as long as I wore it I would have good luck. And she has been right."

"One could hardly accuse the gods of being wrong," Amunet teased," And I bet that luck would follow you anyways, you seem to be the type to attract it."

"Is that a complement your highness?" he asked with a raised eyebrow," Or are you just conjuring up new ways to tease me?"

"It's all so easy to tease you Captain," she said with a smile as she moved her piece farther along the board," And you make it so much fun."

"Glad I can be of entertainment value," he muttered," And if I may speak so boldly, my name is Hasani. Please do feel free to use it Amunet."

She glared at him and he could almost imagine the entire Nile evaporating from her gaze. "And who told you that we were on good enough terms to be speaking without titles Captain Hasani?" she growled, fists lightly clenched.

"You did," he answered calmly and moved one oh his senet pieces," Your turn."

"What do you mean I did," she replied, completely ignoring the game," I said nothing of the kind."

"The moment you decided to tease me, you gave me permission," he told her with a grin and smoothly rose to his feet. "Now princess, I have other matters that I need to attend to."

He bowed effortlessly and left the room, leaving a very flustered Princess Amunet of Egypt behind.

* * *

She rose from her seat and scowled at the Nile from the safety of her balcony.

_Annoying man, _she thought_, That annoying, irritating, handsome…_

She paused in her mental rant. Where had that thought come from? He surely was handsome and her face warmed as she remembered his toned body and some of the very un-ladylike thoughts she had.

_Keket would have a fit, _she chuckled and suddenly, as if summoned by her thoughts, her teacher appeared.

A garishly braided wig covered her baldhead, and her simple linen robes hung from her emaciated form like the sails on the merchant ships in the harbor. She tucked one of her ever-present scrolls under her arm and frowned disapprovingly at her royal charge.

"My lady," she shrilled, tucking a wayward braid behind her ear," Have you not been listening to my instructions at all? A lady does not slouch, she does not…"

Amunet quickly tuned out her teacher's droning and snuck a glance at the tempting doorway. No one was there, good. She calculated the distance and began to edge toward it, rightly figuring that she could outmaneuver her teacher and be out of the door before she could process what her charge was doing. And to her delight, she did just that, leaving a very startled Keket standing on the balcony.

Quickly moving through the halls she found her way to the small, yet ornate, temple housed in the palace courtyard. She glanced up at the statue of Anubis, formed of pure gold and encrusted with gems, ruby eyes flashing enough to almost be alive. She took a stick of incense from a pouch at her side and lit it at one of the smoldering braziers. Carefully placing it in a gold dish at the statue's feet, she knelt and a prayer fell from her lips.

Soon she became aware of a presence beside her and a hand brushed against her face, a hand with canine-like nails. She drew in her breath sharply; she knew those hands and that touch.

"What does my Lord Anubis wish of his servant?" she asked, her emerald eyes meeting a pair of ruby ones.

"I have only come to talk my child," he said and leaned back against one of the pillars. He glanced up at the statue and laughed.

"I must be sure to thank the artist that did this, he did a fine job," the god mused," And I must thank your father for providing the materials."

"He felt it was the least he could do," she said softly," After all you were the one who returned my soul from the Underworld when I was born, before my heart was weighed."

"Yes my child," he said with a gentle smile and ran his hand through her white locks," And I marked you with these white locks to show that you had been saved, death had passed you by."

"I thank you my Lord," she said, bowing once again.

"None are necessary child," he said softly and then his voice grew more serious," Amunet I know that you have feelings for Captain Hasani. Do not be afraid to act on them, for Shai has cast your fates together. But a word of warning my child, be careful of your father, he is planning something, something terrible, something only you will be able to stop."

"My Lord," she said startled, but stopped when the god held up his hand," That is all I will say on this matter, now the rest I leave up to you."

There was a blinding flash of light and when she could see again, she was kneeling alone in the temple with only the scent of incense to keep her company.

* * *

Hasani absently shook the dice in his hand as he pondered his conversation with Hathor. She certainly seemed adamant that he get close to Amunet, even though the girl herself seemed against him. He snorted as he recalled their earlier conversation, only interested in the senet piece indeed.

Still Hathor had told him that he must get closer to her and soon, they didn't have much time. She also said that Amunet was going to go through fire and needed someone to be there for her, to follow her to the very Underworld if necessary. He sighed, why did she always have to be so mysterious?

The dice in his hands regained his attention and he grinned as his eyes swept over the polished alabaster board on his table, the board for a game of chance. He closed his eyes and mouthed a silent prayer to Hathor, Shai, and even a short one to Anubis. If he was truly meant to get close to her, then chance would tell him.

He rolled the dice.

* * *

Thanks everyone for waiting patiently, this new chapter has been a while in the writing. A couple things in case you didn't know. Senet was a popular board game in ancient Egypt, and it was thought that the best players enjoyed the protection of the gods. The other one is that since cards weren't invented yet in this story, our favorite gambler has to make do with dice and an ancient Egyptian gambling game, a game of chance.

* * *

Egpytian name translations:

Shai- goddess of fate


	5. Time Begins to Run

Amunet dove into the sun warmed Nile waters and let them wash away the desert dust from her alabaster skin. She rose once more to the surface and sighed as she swam languidly, letting her mind wander. To her slight embarrassment, she found them returning again and again to Hasani.

A smile graced her lips as her mind returned to the features that were etched in her mind. The aristocratic nose, smirking lips, longish auburn hair, and mysterious red and black eyes were all engrained in her memory for as long as she lived. Not that she found that prospect displeasing, far from it.

He was different, she mused, Different from what she'd thought he'd be like when she really got to know him. He was a complete mass of contradictions. She had seen him execute a prisoner with cold precision, yet she had also seen him be kind to an orphan who begged in the corner of the market. She had seen him strike down others in training by using his strength and his ability to charge things with energy, and she had seen him gently help up one of the children in the palace that had fallen.

She was falling for this man, this much she knew; as much as she knew that this feeling was love and that falling in love with a Captain in her father's army was not a good thing. She shivered at the thought of the consequences of what would happen if they were found out. She had no doubt that her father would order his execution and only the gods knew what he would have in store for her.

But still, even with the risks she knew were involved, she couldn't help but want to get closer to him. She wondered if he felt the same, she hoped he did. Of course, she smirked, She could always order him to be with her, but that wasn't her style. Either he would come to her or she would go to him; but either way she was not going to order him.

Ripples of water that were not her own attracted her attention, as did the feeling of someone approaching her from behind. The scent of cinnamon and other spices filled her nostrils and she smiled.

"My dear Hasani," she said with a laugh," Do you not know that it is dangerous to sneak up on the Princess of Egypt, especially when she is bathing?"

"I do," he chuckled in reply as he wrapped his arms around her waist," But I happen to think that it is worth the risk."

"You have the silver tongue of the gods and the cunning of a serpent," she said and wriggled out of his grasp to face him, and stopped in shock.

Except for the cloth around his hips, his body was absolutely bare of any adornments. His muscled, tanned skin tempted her to touch it, caress it with not just her hands, but her body as well. She blushed at the thought and dropped her eyes to the water in shyness and embarrassment. A hand reached out to cup her chin as he forced her to look at him again, lips smirking but eyes filled with desire and gentleness.

"Do not be afraid to look Amunet," he said with a gentle grin," I know that I am not."

"You can get into trouble for that sort of thing you know," she whispered as he ghosted his fingers over her bare arms," Father would not be pleased."

"And as I have said a few thousand times," he chuckled as he hovered his lips over hers," I have been gone from palace halls for two years and have claimed Ethiopia for your father. I think this does give me certain… privileges."

"Not here it doesn't," she said giggling as she backed away, enjoying his pouting," But when it is night and all are asleep, well…" She let that thought hang unfinished in the air.

His eyes heated and she knew that he had finished the sentence in his head. He pulled her close and placed his lips by her ear.

"I suppose it is a good thing that I can both see in the dark and need little sleep then," he whispered huskily," Isn't it?"

"And isn't it a wonderful thing then that if princesses of Egypt stay up late and sleep late in the morning," she replied as she planted a feather light kiss on his jaw," No one cares or think that it is unusual."

He smiled and his eyes took on a hungry look, one that made her weak in the knees. "May I visit you tonight princess?" he asked as he brushed a kiss across her nose.

Her cheeks flushed and she nodded, not trusting her voice to speak. His eyes brightened and with one last feathery kiss he departed, leaving her a complete jumble of nerves and excitement.

* * *

Hasani scowled as the sun began to fade on the distant horizon, casting its golden glow over the desert sands. He wasn't sure why, but it seemed to him like Ra had been taking his time driving his chariot across the sky today. But in reality he knew that he was just eager. He smiled as his mind's eye was filled with the girl he had seen this morning in the bathing pavilion. Her bathing clothes had left very little to imagination, but still, he wanted to really see her.

The twilight finally faded and darkness settled over the land of Egypt, and still he grumbled. Time passed and the stars came out along with the moon, bathing the palace grounds in a silvery glow. Finally, he knew he could go to her. With stealth both practiced and learned on the battlefield, he snuck down the halls as quietly as a panther. By using both the corridors indoors and outdoors, he finally reached the room he was looking for.

Swiftly he climbed up the side of wall, finding hand and footholds in the carved marble. With practice grace he landed on the floor of the balcony, slipped through the silk curtain and froze in awe.

Four carved statues of Anubis held up the bed, one that was covered in piles of green and blue silks. Wispy white curtains surrounded the bed, and two torches on either side lit the scene with their warm glow. That only registered to him later, after he got over the goddess reclining on the bed.

Amunet wore little else than a simple white skirt and a band of nearly transparent cloth around her chest. It hugged every one of her curves and he forced himself to swallow. She sighed and her eyes opened. A gentle, shy smile filled them as her gaze met his and a faint splash of pink across her alabaster cheeks made him want to take her right then and there.

He smiled, eyes burning, and slowly extinguished every one of the torches in the room. Darkness surrounded them as he lay beside her and took her in his arms. They lost themselves, with only the moon as a silent witness.

* * *

Anubis chuckled as he disrupted the water in the pool. "I think we should leave them alone," he chuckled.

"I agree," Hathor giggled," Some things were not meant for gods to spy upon."

The twinkle in his eyes faded and a deep abiding sadness took over," Their time is running out, and now that they have been together, it will run ever faster against them."

Hathor gazed upon a pair of hourglasses, one made from emeralds and the other of ruby and onyx. The sand was whispering down at a slow but steady rate. "You're right," she sighed," But let us hope we can keep this from the attention of Osiris for a little while longer."

"We can but try," Anubis said and glanced back at the darkened pool," Let us hope that we succeed, for their sakes."

"For their sakes," the goddess agreed and they returned their attention to the hourglasses, sand winding away until eventual oblivion.

* * *

Meanwhile, aware of nothing but his own ambition, En Saba Nur opened a secret passage beneath the mighty Sphinx and descended. Following a recently discovered trail, he came to a room with metal doors. They swung open with a swing of his hands and he floated inside to see a strange floating diamond covered in symbols and made of some strange metal. He neared and the symbols began to glow with a bright, white light. He smiled.


	6. All Starts to Unravel

_She ran through the labyrinth hallways of the Earth, mind reeling from what she had seen and heard. He couldn't, he wouldn't do that to them, to her, it was wrong. But he was planning it; he was going to do it. She shook her head, he couldn't be allowed to do it, and she wouldn't let him. She quickened her pace as the beginnings of a plan formed in her mind, it might work but she had to move fast. She had to find them and tell them, before it was too late. _

_ A myriad of images flashed through her mind; blood, a dagger, her running, her hiding, her… dying._

_ "This is what is," the voice of Anubis whispered in her dream," And this is what will be. The sands of time have already begun to pour."_

* * *

Amunet jerked up from the tangle of sheets, sweat nearly pouring off her body. She swung her legs over the side of her bed and placed her head in her hands, body trembling in fear. Somewhere in the nearby village a rooster crowed, saluting the rising sun, and she sighed. She wouldn't be getting any more sleep tonight. She tossed a linen shawl around her shoulders and left the room. There was only one place she could go to calm down when she felt like this.

The few guards on watch in the halls bowed in respect as she passed. She paid them no heed, after all this was something that had been part of her life since she was born. She walked through a well-worn corridor and came to a pair of gracefully carved cedar doors. They swung open at her approach and she stepped into the main room of the palace's Royal Library.

Scrolls from all around the world could be found here. She smiled as she lightly ran her hand along some of them. There were so many stories, so much knowledge lined neatly on the many shelves. She paused as she came to a simple ebony door and sighed. All the rooms in the Library were open to her, except for this one. This one was only opened for her father and he had given strict orders that it was not to be disturbed at any time. She often wondered what was in there, but until her father was willing to share it's secret, her curiosity would have to remain unsatisfied.

Quietly she glided outdoors to the Library's private gardens and she sighed in relief. Here was peace. Benches, placed conveniently for Library patrons, were artfully scattered around the winding paths, landscaped gardens, and still ponds that abounded in this walled off sanctuary.

She sat at her favorite seat by the feet of the statue of Anubis and sighed, letting the early morning quiet soothe her fears.

"You couldn't sleep either?" a voice asked, softly.

She turned to see Hasani leaning against Anubis' statue, eyes tired and face solemn. She smiled sadly, letting her eyes tell him the story. He pushed off from where he'd been leaning and sat down next to her, wrapping an arm around her shoulder.

"Did you dream too?" he asked her, his tone rough and laced with an emotion she couldn't identify.

She nodded and he sighed, pulling her into a warm embrace. "I'm scared Hasani," she whispered into his shoulder," What's going to happen to us?"

"I don't know Amunet, I just don't know. But whatever happens, we will face it together."

She nodded and they sat silently in each other's arms, as the dawn broke over the land of Egypt, unaware that a pair of muddy brown eyes was watching them from the shadows.

* * *

Hathor leaned forward, staring into the mirrored pool with an unreadable expression that quickly changed to one of horror.

"No!" she cried, prompting Anubis to appear at her side," No, it… it can't, not yet… it's… too soon!"

Anubis tightened his grip on the goddess' shoulders and forced her to look him in the eye. "Hathor, what is going on?"

She stared back into his ruby eyes with her watery gray ones. "They've been seen," she managed to choke out," Ammon has seen them, and he will invoke Osiris, who favors the boy. He never wanted his sister, but he is too jealous to see her with someone else. He will call down Osiris' wrath on her and Hasani. And then he will tell En Saba Nur, and…. Oh poor children."

Anubis sighed and pinched the bridge between his eyes. "Then we must be ever vigilant. Soon we will have to play our parts and play them well."

Hathor trembled and nodded, ignoring a few tears that traced their way down her cheeks.

* * *

Ammon stalked down the halls, fists clenched in rage at what he had just seen. So his little sister, who had once been his intended, was playing the harlot with Captain Hasani. His hands turned white as he thought of his best friend. He had stolen her away, never mind that he had never wanted her as his bride. His best friend had slithered like some devilish serpent and coaxed Amunet from her rightful place in his bed as the future Queen of Egypt.

He threw open the doors to the Temple of Osiris and moved with purpose towards the golden dais on which the statue resided. He knelt at the foot of it, a frantic, angry prayer falling from his lips.

"_Lord Osiris, king of the living and the dead, I, Ammon, Prince of Egypt, your favorite, come before you now." _He intoned with eyes closed_," My sister Amunet has gone against the will of the gods, and defies the gods by refusing to become my wife. Instead she flaunts he disobedience by residing in the bed of my former friend Hasani, beloved of Hathor. I call for vengeance against them both, in this life and the next. And in return I will give you my soul, to keep for all eternity. _

The ground shook mildly, and he looked up in time to see the eyes of the statue gleam with white light that quickly faded away. An evil smile crept across his face, his proposal had been accepted. He laughed as he contemplated what horrors Osiris had planned for his traitorous friend and his harlot of a sister.

* * *

Hathor had finally begun to calm down when a guttural, male cry of fury tore through the Underworld like thunder. They both froze, the tone was familiar, and from what they had seen, they knew it could only mean one thing.

"He knows," Anubis stated.

She nodded and they both stood absolutely still, each one scared for their favorites and the future that was in store for them.


	7. Forming A Plan

Ammon could barely keep a euphoric smile off his face as he eyed his sister from his seat at his father's right hand. She was beautiful, he supposed, but she was sitting in the spot that was supposed to be for him, and him alone. Their father's right hand, a place supposed to be set aside for the future heir to the throne, had always been given to her, the one who would never inherit it.

A surge of jealousy strong enough to choke him passed through his body like a fiery lance. He blinked in surprise. Yes, he had always been insanely jealous of Amunet and her popularity with all around her, and had even felt hatred eating away at him, but he had never felt it as strongly as that. Perhaps it was a by-product of his deal with Osiris.

His murky brown eyes found the tall, silent figure of Hasani standing guard over the Royal family, red and black eyes constantly scanning for any threat or signs of disrespect. Hatred seared through his heart as he stared at his childhood friend. Cherished memories of their childhood together were banished as new images of all the horrible ways he'd like to kill him poured in.

Hasani for his own part was painfully aware of his friend's burning gaze and was beginning to worry that he knew, or at the very least expected something. And, he thought as his eyes continued to sweep over the Court, if Ammon knew, then how long would it be before the Pharaoh knew? How long would it be before Amunet and his lives were considered forfeit?

Amunet was getting antsy as well, her eyes continually flickering to her brother like a bird eyeing a nearby snake. He was up to something; she could feel it in the very core of her bones. She fought to keep her eyes from glancing over at Hasani, from trying to gauge whether or not he felt the same suspicions. Finally her emerald green eyes met her brother's murky brown ones and something passed between them, something that made her shiver in fear. He knew.

* * *

Amunet paced the length of her bedroom floor, marring the moonlight that streamed across her floor. There was a scrabbling sound at the balcony and she spun around with a gasp, but relaxed when she saw a pair of red eyes glittering mischievously in the darkness.

"My love, isn't it a little too early for you to be gasping?" he teased as he pulled her into a warm embrace.

She blushed and returned his hug, but quickly stepped back. She took his warm hands in hers and stared into his eyes, a worried expression on her face.

"He knows," she told him simply," I don't know how, but he knows."

"Ammon?" he asked, and sighed when she nodded," I was afraid of that."

"Now what do we do?" she asked," Ammon will sooner or later tell Father, and when he does." She shuddered," I don't even want to know what he'd do to you if he found out."

"Or to you?" he said, cupping her face in his hands," Don't you fear what the Pharaoh would do to you?"

"If he killed you, then death would only be a means of being together even longer, whether our souls reach Aaru or are devoured by Ammit," she said shrugging, her eyes betraying her fear," And if the punishment is exile then…. Well there are worse things than exile."

He smiled sadly and pulled her against him. "Then we'll just have to see what Shai deals us in the near future eh?"

She nodded and he lowered his head and claimed her lips with his own. It started out soft and slow, but quickly grew into something more. The night stretched on.

* * *

Hathor and Anubis wove their way through the maze of silken strands that adorned the walls of this corner of the Underworld. They were desperate for help, and there was only one who could help them.

They found her sitting on a chair of spun gold, weaving something at he golden loom. Her brows were furrowed in concentration as she forced the thread together, coaxing them to become something more. A bracelet carved with the likeness of a spider graced her right wrist and several of the real things scurried across her hair or around her loom. She glanced up at their presence and smiled softly.

"You need my help," she stated simply, not pausing in her weaving," Only those who seek my wisdom ever come to visit. Tell me, what have you disagreed over?"

They looked at each other for a moment, startled. "Actually we have not come to settle a dispute," Hathor began haltingly," We have come to ask for your help and advice Neith."

The goddess looked up startled. "That is new," she mused," What do you need my advice on then?"

"Our favorites, Hathor and Amunet are in danger," Anubis growled," Shai has shown us that they will die, and Amunet's brother Ammon has made a deal with Osiris to have their souls tormented in this life and the next. Is there any way we can stop this?"

Neith was silent, weaving the cloth with careful precision. "There is no way to stop what will be," she said quietly, ignoring Anubis's growl of anger," But there is a way to ease the torment in the next life, to beat Osiris at his own game."

"How?" Hathor asked, begged really, eyes glowing with hope.

"Waylay their souls before they reach the gates to the Underworld and prevent them from passing though," she said, hands never stilling," Unfortunately you must keep them apart, their combined presence would attract Osiris like a fly to honey. Apart, they will be much easier to lose in the general uproar of the Underworld and I will help you hide them. Despite the deal he made with Ammon we will keep him busy enough so that he does not dwell on them.

When enough time has passed take their souls to be reborn into the world. Osiris will be sure to pull some trick on them before they leave here, but whatever it is we must deal with it, and bring them back together in life. Apart, they are vulnerable. Together, they are strong."

The two gods stood silently watching the goddess at her loom, absorbing everything she had just told them. "Then we must cause them suffering," Hathor said softly," to eventually bring them joy."

"Apparently," Anubis said and turned to the spider goddess once again," There was one other thing we wished to speak to you about. En Saba Nur is plotting something terrible and I think that only you can help us to help Amunet to stop him."

* * *

Egyptian name translations:

Aaru- the paradise in the Underworld, the ancient Egyptian version of Heaven

Ammit- Devourer of Souls who ate the hearts that were heavier or lighter than the feather of justice

Neith- is many things, but for the purpose of this fiction I have chosen her to be the spider goddess of wisdom and weaving


	8. The Sands Run Down

En Saba Nur was strangely at peace, a feeling he had not felt since he was a child in the camp of his father, Baal. All was going as planned. His loyal follower Sebola was keeping him informed of all that went on around the palace and all was going as planned. He had figured out how to use the machine that was buried beneath the mighty Sphinx, and he was nearly ready to use it. By tomorrow night, all the people of the Earth would be like him. They would be perfect, like him, and no longer be filled with their human flaws.

And then there was Amunet. His lips formed themselves into a smile at the thought of his beautiful, headstrong daughter. Her mother had been one of the women he had chosen for his harem, not the Queen or one of his older wives; in fact he didn't even remember her name or her face. He just remembered seeing the little baby girl in his arms and that was it. The mighty mutant had felt a fatherly bond with the babe, one that he had never felt with any of his other children, not even his heir Ammon.

He had fallen into despair when she had died for no apparent reason. His grief had made him do something he had never thought he'd do. He had taken her tiny, still form to the Temple of Anubis and laid her in the god's arms. Falling to his knees, he had prostrated himself at the statues feet and beseeched the dark god to return the life of his daughter. Hours followed hours and still he did not stir from his position, even as the air grew thick and foggy with the smell and smoke of incense.

A strange sort of lethargy fell over him, which was only broken by the tiny wailing cry of a baby. He had jumped up and ran back to the statue, pulling the bundle from its arms. Her hair had been streaked with white and her eyes, a sparkling emerald green, stared sleepily back into his, and her skin was as white as alabaster stone. He had never cried in all his life, even after burying his father and his family. But this tiny child had moved him to tears.

She would be perfect, he promised himself, and she deserved nothing less. He couldn't help but wonder what sort of mutation she would manifest after the Eye of Ages had done its work. Would she be able to walk through objects? Would she be incredibly strong or agile or even incredibly fast?

He smiled as he pondered the possibilities, entirely forgetting to lock the ebony door in the Royal Library behind him.

* * *

Amunet shivered and crossed her arms over her chest, willing the icy coldness to leave her skin. Something terrible was going to happen, that much she knew. Every nerve in her body screamed it, along with the lingering memory of that one terrible dream. She had never told Hasani about, not really anyways, and she wasn't quite sure she could truly explain it if she tried.

She entered the Library, ignoring the forbidden ebony door buried among the shelves. Selecting a scroll of poems, she curled up on one of the benches and tried to use the words to take her mind off her irrational fear. But try as she might, she couldn't relax. Her mind and body wouldn't let her.

Suddenly she heard a quiet skidding sound and she looked up to see the ebony door swinging open. A pair of ruby eyes, filled with such soul-searing sorrow, glowed in the dark and a faint outline of a clawed hand beckoned her forward.

She rose to her feet and moved towards the door. She stopped at the entrance and stared up into the god's eyes, mildly wondering what could make the dark god be so unhappy. His canine teeth glittered lightly in the darkness as he took her hand in his own.

"Come dear child," he said, voice catching," Time is short and there is something you must see."

She followed him unresistingly into the room and the door swung shut behind them.

* * *

Hasani had felt pain before. He had suffered many wounds and broken bones as a warrior, many injuries from training and riding. But nothing could compare to the pain that now seared his soul; the pain of betrayal.

Ammon stood before him, a long leather whip in his hands. He flicked it slowly in his hands, eyeing his former friend with an animalistic gaze.

"You know," he said and Hasani shivered at the cold calculation in his voice," I thought it would be good to have my friend back from the wars. But now I see that all I did was invite a poisonous asp back into my home."

"Ammon…" he began but was silenced by a whip across the face.

"My servants address me properly, or they feel my wrath," Ammon said, eyes glinting wickedly," And you are to obey Hasani, like the good little soldier you have always been. You could blast your way out of here and I know your powers would allow you to do it. But instead you are here, accepting your fate."

"I am here unresistingly accepting my fate because I am a man, your Highness," he said, forcing the words past clenched teeth," But what have I done to merit this?"

"What have you done, you ask," Ammon said and leaned forward until he was almost nose to nose with him," You come home and slither into bed with her would have been my wife while she holds my father's favor and you ask what you have done?"

Hasani knew he shouldn't have but he could not help the smirk that spread across his handsome features. "I did not slither your Highness," as he said the words he knew were signing his death warrant," I was quite willingly invited between the sheets."

Ammon's fists clenched and his eyes smoldered with anger and something even darker. And he knew, he had most definitely pushed his luck too far.

* * *

Hathor watched with teary eyes as the sand in the onyx and ruby hourglass finally trickled down to its end. "Time is up," she choked and began to weep.

* * *

Ammon pulled a sword from his side and pressed the tip of the cold steel against his chest. "Perhaps Isis or Hathor will invite you between their sheets next," he hissed and lunged forward.

Hasani gasped as the sword ran straight though his heart. His mind focused for the briefest moment on his lovely, green-eyed princess. _Amunet, _he thought and then all faded away as his heart stopped moving and his soul was cast into the darkness that was the Underworld.

* * *

The hourglass shattered; Hathor collapsed.

* * *

Amunet ran through the labyrinth hallways of the Earth, mind reeling from what she had seen and heard. He couldn't, he wouldn't do that to them, to her, it was wrong. But he was planning it; he was going to do it.

That door in the library, she thought, her mind reeling," A room full of manuals and instructions and maps. Her father's personal diaries, his plans written for her unbelieving eyes to read, he was going to turn everyone on the planet into mutants like him and Hasani.

She shook her head, he couldn't be allowed to do it, and she wouldn't let him. She quickened her pace as the beginnings of a plan formed in her mind, it might work but she had to move fast. She had to find the council and tell them, before it was too late.

She ran out into the cool night air and ran for the palace. She had to find them. Closer and closer the palace gates came and soon she dashed through them and into the wide marble halls. She flung open the doors to the council chambers, causing the half-dozen or so heads in the room to turn and look at her in surprise.

Her knees threatened to give way to her exhaustion and relief as they quickly knelt in respect; their council meeting had run later than they thought.

"Please rise," she gasped," You must help me save Egypt from my father's plans."

In as few words as possible Amunet explained matters to the stunned council, who quickly left to stop her father's plans. In relief, she sagged to the floor unaware of Sebola's strangely tattooed face glaring at her malevolently. He used his unusual cane to deliver a crippling blow to the back of the young royal's head.

Smiling, he waited patiently for his master to contact him.

* * *

En Saba Nur was furious. His council, his trusted council, had betrayed him and imprisoned him in the Eye of Ages. They had known somehow, someone had told them where to find him and what he was doing. Growling, he reached out his mind to connect with his most loyal subject.

_Sebola_, he thundered, _my plans have been found out, find whoever did this and be sure they die. They cannot be allowed to go unpunished. _

_As you wish my Lord, _his arrogant voice oozed back_; The Princess Amunet will be dealt with shortly. _

Amunet? En Saba Nur felt a chill run through him, followed by fierce rage. His own daughter, his own flesh and blood had betrayed him? He fought the pain of betrayal that welled up within him and instead focused on the glacial feeling of revenge.

_Just take care of it, _he growled_, It is likely that I will not be able to leave my prison for a very long time. I will place myself into a deep sleep, and I will keep watch. When I sense that my daughter, _he spat the word_, has returned to the world of the living I will use her to awaken me and set me free. In the meantime, I want you and your decedents to keep watch over the world and keep me informed of all that happens. This is my last command until I am whole again._

_I understand. It will be done as you wish._

He severed the mental connection and let the rage run through his veins as he closed his eyes and shut his body down while his mind buzzed with energy.

* * *

Amunet opened her eyes and immediately became aware of a heavy feeling in her hand. She lifted her hand to stare at it groggily, and nearly cried out in anguish. She recognized the heavy gold signet ring inlaid with onyx and rubies.

"Hasani," she choked out as she wiped a splatter of blood off it.

"He is already dead child," Sebola's voice taunted her," And you will soon follow him."

Her eyes suddenly fell to the prone figure nearby and she choked out a sob. She ran a hand over his cold skin, tracing his handsome features. A gaping wound in his chest told her how her love met his end.

Her head jerked up so she could meet his eyes. A simple jeweled dagger appeared in her hands like magic and she pointed it at herself.

"You're right," she sobbed, "I will be with Hasani in the Underworld, but you will not have the pleasure of sending me there."

He froze at the implications of her words. No, she would not stop him from completing his master's mission. He leapt for her, but it was too late. She collapsed on her lover's body, lifeless

* * *

The emerald hourglass shattered into millions of tiny pieces. Anubis clenched his fists in agony, feeling sorrow for his favorite. However, he threw his emotions aside. There would be time for grieving later, now he had to save her soul. Save both their souls.

* * *

It was a strange sight the council returned to as they were deciding what to do with the entombed Pharaoh. The Crown Prince Ammon was raving mad, Sebola was screeching in rage and standing over the lifeless body of the Princess Amunet and Captain Hasani of the Pharaoh's army, and the entire palace was in complete chaos.

It wasn't until early the next morning that they finally had a chance to convene and talk about how to go on from there. Several ideas were exchanged but all fell silent as a new presence made itself known to the room. He carried two halves of a stone carved with a spider in his hands, and he set them gently on the table. His tired red eyes ran around the room as he spoke.

"You will need 3 doors to lock away Apocalypse," he said in a voice that was ragged with exhaustion," The first will be unlocked with a key that is formed by a rod and three rings. The second is this stone I have brought you. Neith herself has agreed to be its guardian, and it is imperative that the two pieces never meet. The third door can only be opened by a shape shifter, and they will be the third key." He made sure that he locked eyes with each one of the council members.

"Amunet and Hasani's bodies will be brought to my temple here in the palace. The doors will be closed and they will not be disturbed for any reason. After three days have passed, the doors may be unlocked and the temple may once again be used. If my orders are disobeyed for any reason, you will suffer a fate beyond your worst nightmare. Do you understand?"

Each one of the council members nodded, too afraid to do otherwise. Anubis nodded and then slowly faded away into absolute nothingness.

* * *

Yes this is my longest chapter to date and no it is not my last. Fear not, though most of the Ancient Egyptian part of the story is over. There will be more to come, I promise and sorry if it's not too well written. I tried my hardest. So until my next chapter, I remain ever yours. ~ moviemaniac217


	9. Genesis

Time is a funny thing, always shifting and moving like some being set on a future destination. It never stops, but all too often it passes by without anyone realizing it. So time passed in the dark Underworld. Days melted into weeks, into months, into years, fading into centuries. And still, Osiris searched for the souls of Amunet and Hasani.

Anubis and Hathor, shaking off their grief, had run to the first of the gates to the Underworld. There they had found the souls of their favorites wrapped in each other's arms, prepared to face their fate together. Each god had taken their favorite aside and explained to them what must be done, and the look of sorrow that had flooded their features nearly broke their hearts. But they understood and with one final kiss, they allowed themselves to be separated from each other.

Each century that followed became a carefully crafted game of cat and mouse with Osiris, who periodically would send a spirit to look for the two wayward souls. But the combined efforts of Anubis, Hathor, Neith, and occasionally Shai; they managed to elude the roving spirits ever watchful eyes. If Osiris ever suspected them, they never knew and he never spoke of it.

In the mortal world, everything was changing. Egypt fell to the Roman Empire, which would sooner or later collapse in on itself. Modern conveniences like telephones and cars trickled their way into the hot desert sands as they were invented and made available. Architecture changed to a more modern look and the gods were slowly but surely forgotten. Eventually, nearly all traces of the Egypt that once had been was buried under the shifting sand.

Anubis and Hathor had watched the passage of time with a worried, critical eye. They had to time the re-emergence of their favorites very carefully. Too soon and the world might not have the technology and people necessary to take Apocalypse down, too late and the people they truly needed would have passed on. So they waited, and finally one day they saw that the time was right; their favorites could re-enter the world of the living.

* * *

The humidity and heat in New Orleans was terrible in the middle of the summer. It almost seemed to be a tangible presence, one thick enough to smother whoever was foolish enough to be out in it. The woman walked though it, oblivious to anything but her mission.

She came upon a rundown house in the roughest, poorest part of town. The paint had long since peeled away and nearly every window was boarded over; shingles missing from the sagging roof and the odor of smoke and trash hung in the air.

There was the heavy trudging of feet and the door to the house swung open with an ear-splitting shriek. A tall, heavy-set man staggered drunkenly out, holding a small cloth bundle in one arm. He made his way over to a pile of trash in one corner of a nearby alleyway and dumped the bundle roughly on it. The bundle squirmed and the wailing of a baby seemed to echo off the brick walls.

"Shaddup," the man slurred, stumbling away," Y' little rat ain't good 'nuff fo' my home o' my family. We don' need no demon eyed rat in da house."

The woman watched as the drunkard staggered back into the house, slamming the door behind him for good measure. Once she was assured that he was not returning, she made her way over to the trash heap.

The tiny little boy had kicked his way free of the cheap, thin cloth he'd been wrapped in and now lay whimpering and fussing among all the garbage. She smiled and gently picked the child up and nestled him against her body. He snuggled in closer to her and looked up at her curiously, red and black eyes almost asking an unspoken question.

"Yes little one," she said and tickled him under his chin," You are far better than this."

His giggle filled the air and she smiled, tempted to mingle her laughter with his own. She started walking down the alleyway, her mind a million miles away. Part of her mind resided in the past, when she used to cradle Hasani as a child. And she was glad to be able to do it again. The other part was still in the Underworld, and her ears still rang with Osiris' curse on the boy.

_He knew that you once loved honesty, now he will see to it that you will be adopted by a den of thieves, _she thought_, You were once born to a simple clerk, now born to a drug addicted mother who did not want you. You left a world where you were a person of awe, to a world where you will one day be considered nothing but an animal. _

_ I cannot go against Osiris, but I can even out his curse. You loved a princess, now you will be a prince, a Prince of Thieves. You will end up having no place to go, but will find a place to call home and a group of your own to call family. And in the end, you will find what you died for all those years ago, she who was the last thought on your mind. The road will neither be easy nor short, but you will find Amunet, and then you will be whole once more. I promise it. _

The baby's eyes fluttered closed and he fell asleep in the soothing warmth of her arms. Carefully, she made her way up a flight of stairs. An old, brick building rose above her and a faded brass plaque read, "St. Timothy's Home for the Orphans."

She lay the child down on the top step and rang the bell before darting off into the night. Deep in her heart Hathor hoped that this time around he would receive all that he deserved.

* * *

Meridian, Caldicott County, Mississippi. Nice little town. The type of place where kids could play outside, and everyone knew everyone else's business. And at the height of the summer heat, the atmosphere could rival that of New Orleans.

Two women stand next to a crib in a simple nursery. A baby girl is nestled in the crib, fast asleep. One of the women holds a cane and wears dark shades to cover her sightless eyes; the other is blue skinned and her yellow eyes sparkle with a strange mix of warmth and cruelty as she stares at the crib.

"Are you sure of what your visions are telling you Destiny?" she asks softly, running a gentle hand through the strange white locks that frame the girl's face.

"Positive," the other woman said and placed a hand on the high bar of the crib sides," She has the potential for unlimited power Raven."

Raven smiled, a cold and calculating one, and pulled Destiny from the room so the rest of their discussion wouldn't wake the baby.

A figure stepped from the shadows, his jackal head casting a grotesque shadow on the wall. A large, clawed hand reached out and tenderly traces the baby's delicate features. The baby stirred and he smiled, a sad and longing one, as he remembered when he used to do this all the time.

_Osiris never forgave you for turning your back on him, _he thought, _Just as he never forgave you for Ammon's decent into insanity. He decreed that you will be a mutant of incalculable power, with the price that you be alienated from the rest of your kind. Unable to touch, you will be alone and misunderstood. You have been born to a woman who only wishes to use you. And your father waits in the wings with a plan to use you to free him from his much deserved prison. Trouble dodges your steps, and will for the rest of your life. _

_ But all will not be as horrible as it might seem. A young man waits for you, one who has been searching for you his whole life without realizing it. He will not care about your mutation, as he can look past it to the girl underneath. You will also find a family that is as diverse as it possibly can be, and will dare to say that they are your home. With their love and support and the prince who will come, you can face whatever Osiris throws at you both. I swear it._

Smiling, he drew back from the crib and slowly faded away into the inky shadows of the room.

* * *

En Saba Nur was aware of everything and nothing. He no longer remembered what the sun looked like or the moon, or what it was like to have a gentle evening breeze waft across his skin. He no longer remembered what it was like to walk or ride a horse. These things had faded over the centuries until all he had were vague ideas of how things were.

His mind, however, had been active all through the centuries. He had kept pace with the shifting course of history and with any advance in technology or otherwise. But most importantly, he watched the people, looking for one in particular.

Sebola had kept watch while he was alive, and throughout the years his descendants had done the same; the next watcher being inducted into their job when they reached their 18th birthday. His current watcher was called Mesmero, or at least that is the name he had given the mutant upon his induction. He too was searching for the person his master found so important.

But it was En Saba Nur who sensed her first, a familiar flicker of emotion, a life force as familiar as his own. She was here. He wanted to be angry, but a bit of the filial love that still yearned for his daughter even after her betrayal, filled him with the sudden desire to hold her in his arms again. But that was absurd; she was a completely different person now and would have no idea who he was.

He tensed as that thought passed through his mind, effectively burying the senseless emotions once again. Yes, her memories of her previous life would either be gone or at beast buried deep in her mind. The thought of revenge filled his veins with ice.

_You had me locked away daughter, _he thought_, And now you, yourself will set me free._


	10. The Other Side of the Story

Rogue collapsed on her bed, completely exhausted and chilled to the bone. She sighed and closed her eyes as she willed Jean's psyche and her pounding headache to subside. Jean complied, the headache did not. Groaning she hauled herself to the bathroom to change into her pajamas and down a few aspirin. That being completed she returned to her bed and tried to fall asleep.

Her mind had other ideas though, and she found herself returning to the recent fight with Mesmero. The way he laughed and looked at her, she got chills just thinking about it. It almost seemed to her like he knew something about her that she was unaware of. And for some reason it had only made her want to find him, to ask him what it was he knew that she didn't.

How he had managed to vanish into thin air at the Circus of Mystery was, well, a mystery to her. He was a telepath, not Houdini or a teleporter like Kurt. She could sense that there was another presences at work here, one she wasn't all too comfortable with. And she was sure that whatever Mesmero had stolen those rings for as not going to end up boding well for her.

She rolled over and finally fell asleep. Her dreams were strange, full of palace halls and thick with the scent of incense. And she had to say; she actually found it rather comforting. She let herself be immersed in the dream and for the first time in a long time, she slept peacefully through the night.

* * *

Remy LeBeau, better known as the Cajun with everything, had a long record of sweeping the girls off their feet. And the one that he instinctively knew was trying to sneak up on him would be no exception. He pulled a card seemingly out of thin air and waited, his thief's instincts telling him exactly where she was.

Suddenly, she whirled around the corner and he found himself face-to-face with the X-Man known as Rogue. Her pictures didn't do her justice, he decided, she was absolutely stunning in person.

She seemed to be a little dazed and he tilted his head with a light smile, handing her the card that was still clenched between his fingers. She seemed startled for a moment and they both stood there for a moment, lost in each others eyes. Then something akin to madness overcame him and he leaned forward, intending to kiss her as he had done so many times before. He froze at that thought. He had never kissed her; heck until today he'd never even met her. Besides, her mutation meant that she couldn't touch, so how in the hell had they ever kissed, previous points notwithstanding.

Rogue seemed to be whatever spell he'd been under and he almost felt sorry for what he was about to do. He charged the card and let go, leaving her staring after him in a trance.

He saluted and then turned around and ran. By the time he returned to his transport orb, he was very certain of two things. One was that for the first time in his life he had gone easy on the enemy. The other was that he had the oddest feeling that by meeting his enemy, he had found what he had been searching for his entire life. He had found his destiny.

* * *

Rogue for her part was torn between wondering what the heck was going on and being extremely embarrassed. She had been face-to-face with the enemy, an incredibly good-looking one to be sure though, and instead of attacking him like had been her intention she had just stood there like she was hypnotized or something. And when he had leaned in, she had actually thought he was going to kiss her. Now that was something, had she been able to touch people without absorbing them, she wouldn't have minded in the least.

But for the briefest moment, his leaning in to kiss her had seemed almost normal; like it was something they had done before. But that was impossible, she couldn't touch anyone and besides, she didn't even know his name. It was then that the fog in her mind cleared and she realized she was still holding the charged card in her hand. Having seen first-hand what one could do, she quickly tossed it away and it exploded upon contact with one of the containers. She was going to kill him.

* * *

Gambit made a point of never fraternizing with the enemy, but he had to admit that Rogue was getting harder and harder to push from his mind. As he stood in front of Bayville High waiting for Avalanche, he couldn't help but wish it were her he was waiting for.

Magneto had told him that the Brotherhood members would be difficult to deal with and if that little conversation with their leader was any indication, he was right. He would need to go to the boardinghouse and get their attention the old-fashioned way. Pushing himself off the tree he'd been leaning against, he pocketed his deck of cards and started towards his destination.

As he reached the corner of the school, voices made him look over. He saw two boys picking on one he recognized as the X-Man called Spyke. They were shoving him around and he paused, wondering if the mutant was going to retaliate or just stand there.

Then Rogue suddenly appeared in the picture, shoving the heavier set bully back a few steps. He'd have belted the kid, so he had to admire her self-restraint. But when he shoved her back, causing her to fall on her hands and knees, he clenched his own fists in anger. Enemy or not and regardless of how he felt about her, a gentleman should never shove a lady.

He'd watched until he was sure she was uninjured and even developed a grudging respect for Spyke, who used his powers to stop the fight from escalating further. As much as he wanted to just blow the two ruffians to the high heavens when he came face-to-face with them, he knew that such an action would only cause more trouble for the X-Men than they already had. So he settled for scaring them off.

As he watched the pair scamper off, he quickly became aware of another set of footsteps that skidded to a halt behind him. "What are you doing here?" he heard a familiar Southern drawl demand.

He couldn't help the smile that found his lips as he turned to look at her. "Just passing by cherie," he replied, giving a slight bow and salute," Nice day."

As he walked away he could hear Rogue and another girl talking. He wondered what they were talking about, but decided he'd wasted enough time. He still had to complete his mission and he was willing to bet that Lance had reached home by now and neutralized the need for explaining his presence twice. He smiled. Maybe he could work off a little of his frustration with those two guys out on the Brotherhood.

He'd been startled to see that the girls had followed him, to say the least after he'd sent the boys off to rescue Pietro. He watched the brunette girl Kitty phase them through a nearby truck and couldn't help a chuckle at their persistence. He followed them, watching each ride switch and the eventual defeat of the guys by these two girls.

It was strange seeing Rogue using Avalanche's power with such confidence, but he shrugged it off. He was just curious to see what else she could do.

The next time he encountered the X-Men in London, he was surprised to feel disappointment that Rogue wasn't there. Since when had he developed an enemy type he enjoyed being around? He had enjoyed the fight and the subsequent chase of that energy spider through the crowded London streets. (Though the revelation that he had inadvertently allowed the second door to Apocalypse's tomb to open didn't exactly make him feel good. Or the strange feeling that he had the spider was the handiwork of someone he should have recognized.) Later, as he sat in his homeward bound transport orb, his mind recalled a prayer he had spoken so long ago. A prayer to Hathor that he would never need to fight this man in that life or the next.

He shook his head. He didn't believe in any god, so why the heck was he praying to Hathor and when had he done it. And who the hell was he praying about? Sighing, he pinched the bridge of his nose. This was going to be a long trip.

* * *

Every nerve in En Saba Nur's body tingled with anticipation as he felt her presence approach his prison. The sound of energy running met his ears and he could sense the ceiling of the Eye breaking away and retreating from him. He could smell the air, musty and tinged with the cold, sharp scent of ice. How long had it been since he'd smelled anything like that?

He opened his eyes and looked at her. She was still beautiful, even after all those years. Her hair was shorter and she'd taken to wearing the type of makeup that he'd heard one of his watchers describing as Goth. Still, for a moment he was looking at the beautiful long-haired girl with the emerald eyes who would laugh and smile and throw her arms around him in an affectionate hug. His heart clenched for a moment, but he threw it off.

Amunet was dead and this girl, who was only her body, was not her and he had no right to feel anything about her. The girl staggered back a little and started to look around, obviously wondering where she was. He had to act now, or he would lose this chance forever. His hand shot out and grasped her wrist.

He was surprised not to feel only her life force, but the life force of others, countless others running through her body. She was an energy taker, like him. But unlike him, she had never gained control of her powers, which gave him the advantage.

He was careful to draw only what he needed from her and she collapsed to the ground unconscious. Rising from his prison, he could feel the power of so many running through his body. It was marvelous.

He quite enjoyed taking down the group of mutants, especially the one called Magneto. But to his surprise, he found another face he recognized. The familiar aristocratic features, auburn hair, and red on black eyes almost made him call to the man, but he reminded himself that this was not Captain Hasani. He too was dead, and this man, like the girl who freed him, was only the reincarnation of their bodies.

He floated himself into the vessel and commanded it to vanish, leaving the last visual reminders of his past behind.

* * *

Rogue had always been alone, but ever since the incident with Apocalypse, the feelings had only gotten worse. And then there was the incident with Mystique. She buried her face in her hands as she remembered the look of grief and betrayal on Kurt's face as he sat among her shattered pieces on the beach; eyes full of questions and condemnation.

She had handed her over to Apocalypse with such ease, Rogue thought bitterly, and she was willing to bet that Destiny had something to do with it, or had at least known about it. She had always been that way courtesy of her powers and she could help the flare of anger that shot through her.

Why hadn't she said anything? Why hadn't she warned her? Her anger reached a fever pitch. Why was it always her that all the bad things seemed to happen to? Kidnapped, captured, experimented on, held prisoner, and mind controlled. The list just kept going.

A few tears escaped her eyes and she sighed, giving into her sorrow and anger, completely unaware of a pair of red on black eyes watching her from the trees.


	11. Sugar and Cajun Spice

Guilt had no place in Remy's life. He lied, he cheated, he used other to further his own ends, he was a womanizer, and he stole. He'd lost count of all the sins he'd committed, all the wrong he'd done. Then why did this girl he'd drugged, tied up, and was hauling back to New Orleans to use make him feel guilty?

He pulled off his duster and draped it over her body; the last thing he wanted was for her to catch a cold because of him. He leaned against the boxcar door and watched her. She looked so innocent, but he knew she wasn't. She'd seen a lot, been used more than once and by people she though she could trust, and because of her abilities she had picked up the memories of many a bad guy. Whatever shred of innocence her childhood might have held had long since been forgotten in the cruelty of her mutation.

Shaking his head to clear out his deep train of thought, he turned his attention to the passing countryside and forced his mind to turn down the colder path of how he was going to play her to get what he needed from her. However, his mind slowly turned back to Rogue, who was still in her drug-induced slumber.

He had looked her up upon his return from Egypt after Magneto's death. He'd been there when she'd pushed Mystique's statue off the cliff. To say he'd been shocked would be an understatement. He'd been absolutely stunned to see that the girl who could wipe the floor with nearly any mutant she met had turned into a murderess. For a moment he had felt nothing but disgust for her, her actions reminding him of Belladonna.

But for some inexplicable reason, he kept coming back and he kept watching her. Slowly, but surely, he realized that he'd been wrong. She wasn't a murderess, she never had been. He saw the way she pulled away from the others, the way that she sat or walked, the guilt in her eyes when she looked at her brother. Everything about her screamed, _I'm hurting, Help me. _

If he had really tried justifying himself, he'd say that he was rescuing her from a path that was only leading to self-destruction. And, to his surprise, he found himself justifying his actions quite often. He sighed and closed his eyes. He had thought about her a lot in Egypt, about how she would seem so at home here. And, oddly enough, he had felt at home there too and he'd almost been as comfortable there as his home city of New Orleans.

He heard her soft groan as she clawed her way back to consciousness and he steeled himself for the task ahead.

"I've been watchin' you for weeks Rogue," he began and turned to her," You're such an unhappy girl."

He watched as her face took on an angry expression and she leaped for him, not quite alert enough to be aware of the ropes tying her wrists and ankles. She landed with a hard thud and twisted around to look at him.

"Is it any wonder? What do you want with me?" she asked, her body language screaming frustration and exhaustion.

"I don't want anything," he began. _Liar_, his conscience muttered, but he ignored it and continued," It's what you want. I'm just openin' the door for ya."

"A door to what?" she asked, looking slightly suspicious.

He stepped forward and knelt to help her sit in a more comfortable position before answering. "Freedom," he said," a chance to just walk away. I know from experience that the first step is always the hardest, so I'm just givin' you a little push."

"Untie me," she demanded and tried ripping the ropes from her limbs herself.

"I will, I will," he replied, holding out his hands in a placating manner," Once you realize I'm doin' you a favor."

_Whatever you say, _his consciousness muttered_, whatever you say._

* * *

Rogue curled up in her seat in the Blackbird and closed her eyes, effectively ending Logan's tirade for the time being. She felt a three-fingered hand give her knee a quick and affectionate squeeze and she couldn't help but smile in acknowledgement. It was over, she could tell, all the animosity and anger had dissipated with her brother and she felt whole for the fist time in a long time.

She sighed and let her mind run back over the events of the last 24 hours. She wanted to stay mad at Remy, but that was quickly proving to be impossible. Yes, he had kidnapped her with the intent of using her and yes he had lied to her. But hadn't he had a good reason? Hadn't it been so he could rescue his father who, from the memories she picked up from him, didn't even deserve it? If she felt bad about killing Mystique before, the she felt even worse now.

But at the same time, she had seen a small tidal wave of his memories and some of them made her pause. He had been watching her for a long time, just as he'd said. She felt his disgust for her when she shoved Mystique's statue off the cliff. She cringed slightly as the shame washed over her again, she was still disgusted with herself and she knew that his was justified.

She was shocked when she sensed his thoughts change from disgust to pity to worry about her and how she was doing. Why did he even care? He wasn't an X-Man, he wasn't exactly a friend, though she didn't count him as an enemy, and they certainly weren't an item. So why did he seem to be so attracted to her? And more importantly, why did she feel so attracted to him?

It wasn't that he wasn't handsome, he was and she was definitely attracted to him in the physical sense. She knew he wasn't the only one, she grimaced as some very private memories and thoughts flickered through her mind, and he'd definitely made use of that fact. But still when it came to his thoughts about her it was different somehow. She heard how he'd try to justify her kidnapping to himself, how bit by bit he was starting to try to convince himself that it _wasn't _the reason he was taking her to New Orleans rather than it _was. _

She shook her head as his memories and psyche slowly faded into the murmuring mass of those that resided in her head. She didn't know why, but he seemed to feel almost differently about her. _Well at least to a point,_ she thought and blushed as some of his perverted thoughts concerning her body flickered through her mind along with the feeling that he had seen her body before. Which was impossible. But still, she sensed that he felt differently about her for some reason. He just couldn't put his finger on why. Just like she couldn't figure out why he seemed so familiar to her.

She sighed and started to drift off.

_Trouble dodges your steps, and will for the rest of your life. But all will not be as horrible as it might seem. A young man waits for you, one who has been searching for you his whole life without realizing it. He will not care about your mutation, as he can look past it to the girl underneath. You will also find a family that is as diverse as it possibly can be, and will dare to say that they are your home. With their love and support and the prince who will come, you can face whatever Osiris throws at you both. I swear it._

_She furrowed her brow in concentration. That voice sounded so familiar. Yet as she checked through her collection of people she'd absorbed, she found that she didn't have a match for it. It could have been someone she'd had a conversation with in some random place like the bookstore or coffee shop, but somehow she didn't think so. It was a voice that came from the back of her mind, a voice that seemed to echo from the past, her past. She sighed again and let herself drift off, while the back of her mind tried to put a face to the familiar voice in her memory._

* * *

_Remy wasn't sure why he was following his father back through the bayou into only God knew what. Unless he was a masochist, then this all would make perfect sense. But last time he checked he was still sane, so he wasn't quite sure what to make of it. _

_You loved a princess, now you will be a prince, a Prince of Thieves. You will end up having no place to go, but will find a place to call home and a group of your own to call family. And in the end, you will find what you died for all those years ago, she who was the last thought on your mind. The road will neither be easy nor short, but you will find Amunet, and then you will be whole once more. I promise it._

_He shook his head to clear off the strangely familiar voice. It was a voice he'd heard many times in his childhood, but as he grew older it slowly faded away. The practical side of his mind tried to pass it off as his imagination, but somehow, deep in his soul, he knew better. _

_He thought about what the voice had said. He did feel whole when he was around her, and he remembered the day of the fight when he felt as though he had found his destiny. Had he? Had he finally found his cliqued other half. A smile played on the corner of his lips as he pondered that idea. Yes, if she was truly his destiny, then he would not complain. He followed Jean-Luc I silence, mind always on the rogue girl he'd left behind. _


	12. Lost in Time

Rogue couldn't help the eerie sensation of déjà vu as she ran through the halls of the underground chamber that the team had discovered. She'd never been to Egypt before in her life, yet at the same time every stone on the floor and every crack on the wall seemed familiar. She reached the carved doors just in time to use Dorian's power to knock Mystique down and away from Logan. He looked at her for a moment and then ran in front of her and clawed a hole in the door for her to step through.

"Go, go, go!" he shouted and she quickly slid though the opening, unaware of Logan's presence suddenly falling back.

She stood by her brother's unconscious form for a minute and stared at the unusual energy display that floated in mid-air. _I'll take care of that, _she thought and once again the strange green membrane of Dorian's ability reached out and turned the power off with a zapping sound. She heard a grunted," No," and started to walk forward.

For a moment, everything around her changed into something strange and yet familiar at the same time. The walls were warm with torchlight and there was a figure of a man with his back turned to her. He was standing with a helmet on his head and his shoulders were hunched in concentration.

_Yes, _his voice whispered in some forgotten corner of her mind_, They will pay for killing my family, they will be like me. They will pay for abandoning me, this machine will make sure of it. _

Her heart froze in her chest and she slowly backed away in disbelief. Silently she turned and ran through the hallways once again, everything blurring….

Blurring back into the here and now. Rogue blinked, but didn't take time to analyze it. She reached the side of Apocalypse's machine and stared at his strangely tattooed blue face. She recognized that pattern and she longed to run a finger along the lines, tracing them like she used to when she was a child.

The room faded to white and she found herself standing in an empty landscape of white light. She could sense another presence there with her.

"Who's there?" she demanded.

"Just someone you betrayed long ago," Apocalypse said and materialized in front of her.

"You!" Rogue snarled as she faced the source of most of her troubles," You have the nerve to come here and accuse meh. You are the reason mah life became so difficult. Ya, mah mutation is cruel and because of it, Ah'm often alone and misunderstood. But at least mah life actually made some kind of sense and there was some twisted logic to it. Now there's nothin' and it's all cause of you!" She finished on a scream, all the emotions she'd been bottling up finally pouring out.

He smiled, a cruel yet sad one, and raised a hand. "You say that now my dear, but look into your past. Into the life you have forgotten and judge for yourself who was truly wronged."

The white infinity began to shift and turn into a familiar yet different landscape. _This must be what Egypt looked like a long time ago,_ she decided as she looked around. Slowly, images started to flash by like slow motion movie. She saw herself, dressed in the gowns and crown of a Princess of Egypt, saw a man who looked suspiciously like Remy drinking from a goblet of wine while they played a game, she saw him kissing her while they both stood in the Nile waters, she blushed when she realized just how far some of their kisses had gone.

She remembered reading her fathers notes and diaries in a hidden room in the Royal Library, sneaking down a long corridor, seeing her vision, running back to the palace, telling the council, Sebola's wicked smile, Hasani's body, the dagger, red, and then darkness.

Her hair grew out to her waist and her outfit changed from her X-Men uniform to an elegant, white linen robe. Her eyes open and the emerald color in them deepens.

"No father," she says, her voice clear of her Southern accent," Rogue is correct, she, I, was the one wronged. You plotted to turn the world into mutants while I lived before, and now you are doing it again. Father, it's wrong."

"Wrong?" he roared," They abandoned me to die as an infant in the desert. And why did they leave me? Because I looked different, because I was a mutant."

"But you didn't die, did you father?" she replied," Baal saved you, and he and his clan died to save your life. They died because they loved you. So you could love someone else. So you could love me, your Amunet."

Apocalypse's face softened and something that looked like tears threatened to fall down his face. "I will always love you Amunet, no matter how long time lasts or how far apart we drift," he ran a hand through her hair," Why did you do it Amunet? I could have given you the world, given you power beyond your wildest dreams. I would have given you everything."

"Father I didn't want the world. All I wanted was to be with you and Hasani. But you left me no choice, and what I did, I felt compelled to do."

He chuckled," Hasani, when I saw him reincarnate I almost called to him. And don't worry, he too is being reminded of who he was." Then she watched as his face hardened into the mask she had last seen him in. "And what I am about to do, I was also compelled to do."

She blinked and found herself back in the modern world. "We've been used by you for the last time," she said and the meaning was clear to him.

He grabbed her wrist, but she slammed a piece of the lid shut. She continued, knocking them down one by one. Finally, she slammed the last piece shut and stepped back, knowing what must be done. And it made her feel divided; free yet chained by sorrow. But there was only one decision she could make and with Logan's help she achieved it. The Eye of Ages and Apocalypse vanished, and she couldn't help but wonder when she would meet him again.

* * *

Remy sat up suddenly in his bed, sweat pouring off him. He rubbed his face with his hands and tried to force his heart rate and breathing down to a normal rate. It was no dream that had awoken him it was his memories; memories that had lain dormant in his mind for centuries. He threw his legs over the side of the bed and dressed quickly. He knew what he had to do.

He quickly tossed his things into a bag; he had to go to her, Amunet… Rogue. He knew why Jean-Luc wanted him around, he'd always known. But he was truly done being used, by Jean-Luc, Mesmero or anyone else. And as silent as only the Prince of Thieves could be, he disappeared into the night with one destination in mind. A school in Bayville, New York; the home of a green eyed Southern belle who he could not wait to get to really know; or, he chuckled, get to know again.

* * *

Apocalypse was lost again, wandering through time with no direction. All he could do was wait and wander, vowing one day to find her again. And when he found her again, he vowed, he would make her pay.


	13. Epilogue

Yes fellow FanFictionites this is the last chapter of Linked Across Time. I thank you for sticking with me through all the twists and turns of my story as well as it's roadblocks and shortcomings. Thank you everyone who followed, favorited, and reviewed each chapter. You are the fuel that keeps me going. Thank you all, and until next time, I remain your truly. ~ moviemaniac217

* * *

"Oh c'mon _cherie_," Remy said and rolled his eyes at his girlfriend," Of all the things in dis entire museum to see and you like what? A game piece?"

Rogue tore her eyes away from the case in front of her and raised an eyebrow," Hey y'all can go an ogle the jewelry and other stuff in here. Ah see what Ah like," she began and then paused to rake her eyes over his body," All of what Ah like."

He raised his eyebrow and smirked in return. "Really _chere_," he chuckled," Keep talkin' like dat and I just might get us in trouble for public indecency."

"Try it Swamp Rat," she grumbled and turned back to the case," See if Ah care."

He grinned and wrapped his arms around her waist and planted a kiss on her cheek. "So what is it that you like so much?" he asked as he studied the artifact she was so fixated on.

"A senet piece," she said and leaned back into his chest," This one was found in the remains of a palace that used ta be here. Ah like it."

"Well den," he chuckled," I know what to get ya for Christmas this year."

"Sh," she giggled and elbowed him lightly in the ribs," If ya really want to see Logan so bad, keep talkin' and he'll have to come bail us out of an Egyptian jail for your big mouth."

"Humph," he snorted," We spent enough time tryin' to get away from da X-Men, like hell I'm gonna let dem come here and ruin da first vacation we've had alone."

"Ya an' speakin' of which," she said as they stepped out into the warm sunlight," Why are we in Egypt again?"

"Because both of us have been here, and none of it's been good," he said and led her back to their hotel," So I t'ought it'd be a good idea if we came for some rest and relxin' instead."

"Brilliant idea Swamp Rat," she chuckled as she stepped into their room and flopped back onto the blue and gold comforter of their bed," But me, Ah'm just glad that Ah now have my powers under control."

"Just that?" he asked and started to trace her lips with his.

"Among other things," she murmured and pulled him into a deep, yet sweet, kiss.

* * *

Rogue leaned back in her chair and sighed, enjoying the feeling of the wine as it tickled her senses. True to the promise made to her at her birth, things had been hard for her. She had lost control over her powers, again, and had nearly died in the process; she'd been used by Mystique, again, and had absorbed a woman named Carol Danvers and gained her abilities of flight and super-strength. She'd spent a short time in the custody of the Friends of Humanity and had been mind controlled into committing several crimes for various groups.

But through it all, Remy had been by her side to comfort and encourage her. Their first meeting after the New Orleans incident had been a particularly painful one for him, though in her defense punching at a dark figure leaning over her was simply second nature. After the general uproar caused by his unusual arrival, and Rogue trying very hard to keep Logan and Scott from knocking him into the next county, he had been invited to join the X-Men and with a smirk he'd accepted.

She was glad he'd been there for her, that he'd been there to anchor her to reality both when she lost control and when she was nearly driven insane with Carol's psyche. She watched him as he leaned back in his own chair and sipped at his own glass of wine.

"Ah wish you wouldn't wear those sunglasses," she said, lowing her voice so no one at any of the nearby tables could hear them," Ah love seeing your eyes."

He looked over at her and smiled. "I don't like 'em much either _chere_ but it's either these or contacts, and I ain't wearing contacts."

"Crazy Swamp Rat," she muttered and he reached out to take her hand.

"Happy Anniversary _Cherie_," he said and brushed his lips against her knuckles.

"Anniversary of what?" she asked confused and he put on his best adorable pout.

"Ya mean you don' remember the day you met dis old Cajun?" he said in a mock-hurt voice," Ya wound me _chere_."

"Whatever, and it's not like Ah could forget that whole mess," she snorted and pulled a small velvet box from her purse. "But Ah didn't forget, Happy Anniversary Remy."

He smiled mischievously and pulled a gaily-wrapped package from his pocket. "Here _chere_, I picked up your gift this afternoon."

She narrowed her eyes and slit the wrapping paper, opening the box to reveal a familiar senet piece. She giggled and carefully closed the box once again. "Ah hope ya have a plan to get that home."

"Since when don't I?" he chuckled," Do ya like it?"

"Ah do and it feels good to have it back again," she sighed," Now open yours."

He opened the lid of his to find an elegantly crafted man's signet ring inlaid with onyx and rubies. "Thought I'd never see this again," he murmured and slipped it onto his finger," Where did ya find it?"

"A little shop here in town, it felt weird to recognize it even though I'd technically never seen it before. Guy had no idea what he had."

"Where'd he get it?"

"That's the strange thing. He said he'd received it from a friend who'd found an unmarked tomb in the Valley of the Kings. That, something about a pair of mummies being buried hand-in-hand, and the fact that all the people who worked on that dig died horrible deaths was all Ah got out of him."

"And just how far did you have to go to get that out of him?" he asked with narrowed eyes.

She snorted," Really Ah didn't want that guy in my head."

He chuckled," Makes you wonder who they were."

"Yeah, just like it makes me wonder what the others would do to us if they found out who we were."

"Ya mean who you were," he snickered," Amunet."

"Stuff it Hasani, "she growled back, smile playing at the corners of her lips," Or Ah'll drop kick ya into the next century."

"With dat kind of attitude, however did ya end up bein' a daddy's girl?"

"Cute, Swamp Rat. Any more questions you wanna ask?"

"Just one," he said an pulled a small, velvet box from his pocket and got down on one knee," Will you marry me?"

The ring was beautiful, a simple black diamond set with two rubies, and it glistened in the Egyptian moonlight. She smiled and a tear slipped from her eye.

"Yes," she breathed," Yes Ah'll marry you."

He smiled and slid the ring on her finger before capturing her lips in a passionate kiss. They weren't sure what the future would bring, but come what may they'd face it together.

* * *

The loom was finally silent as the figure removed the finished product, golden spider bracelets glinting in the faint light. The scene was so realistic, detailed enough to be a painting. A man and a woman stood in ancient Egyptian clothing, while the scene around them was of a modern Egypt. Her white striped hair swept gracefully down her delicate face as she kissed her tall, auburn haired companion.

Neith smiled and showed the finished product to two others, a goddess with watery gray eyes and a god with a jackal head.

"After 5,000 years it is over," she said," And they have won."

"Yes," Hathor said softly," But they still have the rest of their mortal lives for Osiris to cause them trouble, and he will. What will happen to them when they do finally reach the end?"

"Only the journey is written," Anubis said just as softly," Not the destination. Don't worry. We have kept our promise, and together, they can withstand anything."

She nodded and the three immortals turned their attention to the tapestry once again, each one hopeful for the first time in millennia.


End file.
